NCB Foundation donates $6 million to UWI scholarship fund

The scholarship will cover costs associated with an undergraduate degree at The UWI and academic and networking exposure at Oxford University for high-achieving youth from disenfranchised backgrounds.

The National Commercial Bank (NCB) Foundation has contributed $6.4 million (US$50,000) to the University of the West Indies (UWI) for the McIntyre/Nettleford Vice Chancellors’ Scholarship Fund.

The fund, named in recognition and celebration of former distinguished Vice-Chancellor’s of The UWI, Sir Alister McIntyre and the Late Professor Rex Nettleford, will cover costs associated with an undergraduate degree at The UWI and academic and networking exposure at Oxford University for high-achieving youth from disenfranchised backgrounds.

Referencing the visit to The UWI in 2016 of the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Professor Louise Richardson, Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of the UWI, said “the visit was an historic moment for The UWI and very significant in celebration of 100 years of Caribbean/Oxford scholastic relationship with the executive members of The UWI and Oxford alumni in the region. It was the platform for cementing UWI/Oxford relationships in facilitating UWI students on a short stay at Oxford”, he explained.

On accepting the cheque from NCB Foundation Chair, Thalia Lyn on June 5, 2017, Sir Hilary said “we are honouring two sons of the Caribbean who led and served The UWI with excellence. The McIntyre/Nettleford Vice Chancellors’ Scholarship Fund also celebrates the history between the University of Oxford and The UWI in recognition of the importance of making a global education experience accessible to our most promising scholars.”

Lyn said that “NCB as an indigenous bank takes pride in its relationship with The UWI – one of the region’s premier indigenous institutions. The bank knows the value of education and worked to do its part to ensure that “every child benefits from tertiary education.”

“We’re your partner”, she told the Vice-Chancellor “and we know that the money we give to The UWI will be well spent.”

A number of other donors have previously contributed to the McIntyre/Nettleford Vice-Chancellors’ Scholarship Fund including Hon. Hugh Hart, Hon. Delroy Chuck, Christopher Issa, Mark Golding, Therese Turner-Jones and Roderick Rainford.